Core Economy Plugins
Three plugins form the foundation of any Minecraft economy: Vault (the API that connects everything), EssentialsX (provides the currency), and a shop plugin for players to spend money.
Installation Order
- Install Vault
- Install EssentialsX (provides the economy implementation for Vault)
- Install LuckPerms (for permission management)
- Install your shop plugin (ShopGUI+ or QuickShop Hikari)
Balancing the Economy
An economy server lives or dies by balance. Set sell prices through trial and error based on how easily items can be farmed. Too high prices make the economy inflationary; too low makes it pointless.
Adding Jobs
The Jobs Reborn plugin lets players earn money by mining, farming, fishing, and crafting. This gives players a natural income stream and encourages diverse gameplay.
Player Shops
QuickShop Hikari lets players create their own chest shops — placing a sign on a chest to sell items to other players. This creates a player-driven market that adds depth to your economy.
Common Economy Issues
Inflation from easy money sources (mob grinders, auto farms) is the biggest challenge. Monitor the server economy with Vault's balance leaderboard and adjust prices regularly.